First Time Buyer Advice

[OrangeJoe]

Thanks to this forum, I avoided a costly mistake with the first FJ40 I had in my sights. I was hoping to get some advice/feedback with another one I found. So far, I’ve only talked with him over the phone and received additional pictures which I’ll post below.

From what he said, it has almost no rust and great condition in all of the important spots. It has been in his family for 32 years or so and is mostly original with a few exceptions. According to him, the radiator is a “much better radiator than stock with a tighter fitting shroud.” I’m assuming that means it’s not OEM but not sure if that's a problem. It has also been painted and it has power steering. Other than that, he said it is mostly stock. He also claimed he had some kind of expert restoration company look at it and appraised that he could get somewhere between $26k and $38k. Quite a wide range if you ask me, but it seems like that could be the case if you find a buyer who’s not well-versed in valuing these. I am one of those people, so that’s why I’m here. The price he is supposedly firm at is $24k.

Please feel free to point out any red flags or problems you see. If there are any other pictures needed, I can get them. And of course, any questions that I should ask. Thanks in advance, and I hope to join the LC owners club soon.

Cheers!

 

[OrangeJoe]

More pics:

 

[OrangeJoe]

More pics

 

[OrangeJoe]

A few more:

 

[OrangeJoe]

Last ones:

 

[Cruiser Cult]

That rear sill definitely seems like its missing some factory seams. I would bet its hiding rust behind some bondo.

 

[Firemedic831]

Mirrors are junk and will have holes in the doors . Front bumper is junk . wheels are junk . The holes in the side from where a CB was mounted is Junk . Suicide knob on the steering wheel is junk . shifter boot is junk , Audiovox radio is Junk , The missing pieces on the hood for the windshield Junk . Crappy paint job more junk . i am sure there is more junk. but other than that its OK But wait there is more. Missing emblems More Junk. missing vacuum lines. Junk. missing air cleaner parts. you guessed it more Junk . i would like to know the name of this Restoration Shop ? The Body line under the screwed on 4wd emblem on the pass side rear is wonky . This is a Pig with ugly lipstick mismatched hardware on the rear

 

[OrangeJoe]

lol brutal. But I thank you sir. I’m sure I would have noticed at least some of that but certainly not all. At the very least, you might have saved me half a day of driving out to look at it.

I can ask about the resto shop, but I’m sure it’s a waste of time…doubt it even exists if it’s as bad as you’ve pointed out.

 

[majdomo]

Roof should be white. Biggest concern for me is the rear sill and the body filler sharp edges on the driver's side vertical lip. Bang into it once with something heavy and it will crack right off. Seams are missing on that rear sill likely under some bondo.

There are good ones out there, keep looking!

 

[brian]

Doesn't look too terrible......but it's also not $24k good.

 

[Green Bean]

I like the truck but as others have said, you would be well advised to go in with your eyes fully opened to hidden problems and probably lots of deferred. maintenance. Depending on the final price, it might be a good opportunity to get into a running truck.

 

[1911]

The funky wiring under the steering column and by the heater would worry me.

It looks to have been been poorly de-smogged.

Personally, I would not pay anything like $24K for that truck. Too much stuff that needs addressed/fixed. YMMV.

 

[pb4ugo]

I think the appraisers #'s are not realistic and the asking price is on the high side too. It maybe something to look at, if you like the color. It maybe expensive to change the color. Once you dive into the body work, you may open a can of worms.

 

[OrangeJoe]

Thanks for all of the responses guys. This site is awesome. I’ll clarify that I don’t mind spending more for something that is a fair deal.

I’ll also add that I’ve been looking since September and everything I’ve found is either lipstick on a pig and overpriced or a complete restoration. And even the full restos seem overpriced for the rust buckets they are. I don’t mind doing a little bit of restoration as I go, but I don’t want to have to do the whole damn thing. Getting a little discouraged/frustrated tbh.

 

[cruisermatt]

have you looked on the classifieds here? There are usually some good buys, and you get public commentary.

 

[bikersmurf]

It’s at least 100x better than what I started with for 20x the price.

At first I read some of the above comments and thought they were kinda harsh… but I’d overlooked the $24k price tag.

For $24 (or near it) I’d want no bondo or surprises. For $5000 my bar would be much lower.

 

[SergP]

This is how you should view the FJ40 when you buy it

This view should convince you to pay 20K+...

 

[cruiserkev]

I like it but would not go over $20k. Keep looking if they won't come down, took me several tries to find the right one, still have it nearly 3 decades later.

 

[pb4ugo]

The classified section is a good resource except for the 0ne red one at 80k. If its close to you might take a look at it. You now know some of the issues. Looking at in person goes a long way. Crawl under it, look around and at the back side of the rear sill and 1/4's. Then you can also ask about the other one behind it. FYI, The one in question has a later model top. His price is to expensive for the vehicle, imo.

 

[DeskJock]

From my experience in looking for my Land Cruiser; typically anything in the teens or lower - needs a boat load of work. Landcrusiers in the 30's; should need anything. If you looking for a happy medium, you'll be in the 20's - unless you find a steel ( good luck). I used bring a trailer and this website to learn about the truck. Personally saw over 15 rigs; and poured thru several hundred online deals / pictures.

There are guys in this forum and on Bring a Trailer that have outstanding eyes for the important details. But, at the end of the day, you're the one that going to get physical and up close to the one you buy.

Rust is the biggest issue; and, like that picture above - under the vechicle and in the nooks and crannies in the wheel wells .. and, the floor boards are important.

My rig was 26k. The body is in great shape, and there is rust .. only deep in one spot - the rest is manageable. With that said - I had to dish out 3k in the first few months as the electronic ignition ( which was par and partial to the fuel injection) needed to be replaced.

I daily drive my rig and I enjoy the simplicity of how it was engineered.

I don't see any pictures of this rig that would scare me away; but, the pictures you have are not where you need to look.